The Broken, Golden Link
by Cannibalistic Oreos
Summary: Songfic; Spoilers; -- Yugi knows that Atem is at rest, and he knows he'll never see him again. But he also know that Atem isn't really gone- that he'll always be with him. -- Interpretable as puzzleshipping; May cause unwanted tears and need of friends


**A/N: **My first ever songfic. o: I'm sure this is all cheesy and cliché and stuff, but I woke up in the middle of the night to **Celine Dion**'s **My Heart Will Go On** and I started thinking about Yugi and Atem, and I was just_ bawling_ for about two hours. So yeah. That's the song, those are the lyrics (The stuff in centered italics). Just to let you know, I was bawling while I was writing this, too. I had to stop after each verse and calm myself down before writing the next one. I'm not sure if you guys are as sappy as I am though, so you might not cry like I did. (I was crying for like, four hours after watching the last episode of Yu-Gi-Oh. XD;

**Word Count W/O Authors note:** 2,084

* * *

_Every night in my dreams,  
I see you, I feel you.  
That is how I know you go on._

Yugi had never believed in ghosts before now. Every night, he would toss and turn in his bed, dreaming of a familiar purgatory. He stood, alone, surrounded by the cloudy mixture of pinks and purples. Normally he didn't mind it so much. After all, the memories of this purgatory were always comforting. He could remember being here when he spoke with Atem. But that was when the dream began to hurt. Yugi would first be alone. Standing on his own. Then, without warning, Atem would be in front of him, extending a hand in desperation.

_I need you, Aibou!_

The hand would draw closer and closer. And just as the tips of Atem's fingers made their way along Yugi's cheek, the image would be gone. He would throw himself up in bed, throwing a hand up and holding it close to his jaw. He had felt Atem's fingers. He knew that Atem still lingered within him, even if he had lost his connection, along with the Puzzle he had taken so many years to complete. Destiny brought them together, and Yugi knew that destiny had no intension of ever letting them separate.

_Far across the distance,  
And spaces between us,  
You have come to show you go on._

Yugi lifted his head wearily, his eyes tracing with familiar tears. He let his head fall in his hands as they escaped, tugging up his knees. He lifted his head, his cheeks now stained as his arms moved around his legs, holding them close to his chest. He took in a deep breath, trying to hold back the sobs as his head turned. His eyes wandered to the spot that he remembered so often seeing his puzzle resting. But now that spot was empty. With a quiver of the lips, his head turned, blindly staring southwest. And although all he could see was the wall, his mind far surpassed it, bringing him back to the crumbling resting place of the Millennium items.

"Other one of me," he choked, his voice no more than a whisper. He turned back to the foot of the bed. The foot where he always saw Atem sitting, waiting through the long hours of night. His gaze faltered back to his knees. His lips quivered again, more tears spilling over his eye lids. "Our puzzle may be in Egypt, but..."

_I know you're here. I know you're still with me._

_Near, far, wherever you are,  
I believe that the heart does go on._

Yugi mustered up a smile, now unable to stop the tears. He was right. It didn't matter where the puzzle was now- If it had still been resting on his desk, or if it had fallen into the core of the earth. The puzzle was merely the middle link of the chain. But two parts of a broken chain are still both made of gold. Yugi didn't need that center chain. He and Atem were still connected by their spirits. The person Yugi was now was the doing of Atem. He had shaped Yugi into the impossible-to-reach center of light and dark. Thanks to Atem, Yugi was no longer a hikari or a yami. He was a human. And thanks to Yugi, Atem was able to stand along-side him as a human, whether with his own body or not.

_Once more you open the door,  
And you're here in my heart,  
And my heart will go on and on._

And even if Atem wasn't within Yugi's reach any longer, Yugi knew that these dreams weren't just dreams. Yugi knew that it wasn't some mind trick that he felt Atem's fingers caress his face. Atem was coming to Yugi on purpose. To be with Yugi one last time; one last time before he couldn't any further. And that was all he needed. Yugi wasn't going anywhere. He wasn't going to die any time soon. So long as Yugi was alive, Atem could stay alive with him. After all, they had spent years sharing a body. Just because Atem couldn't be right in front of Yugi, it didn't mean Atem couldn't be _with _him. Yugi's smile grew larger as his eyes fell narrow. As much as he told himself this, the tears showed no signs of slowing.

_Love can touch us one time,  
And last for a lifetime.  
And never let go till we're gone._

Yugi pushed himself from his mattress, desperately trying to wipe the tears away. His feet slapped against the floor as he wandered to his desk. At first his hand wandered for the empty space of the puzzle, but he forced it further and wrapped it around his telephone. Yugi only met Atem once. He only spent one period of time with him. But Yugi knew that he didn't need to spend more time with Atem. He didn't need to be with him again. Atem's memory would always be with him. Yugi could never forget the years they had spent together, and he knew that those memories would keep them together until he died. Yugi took in a breath as he lifted his phone to his face.

"Jonouchi-kun..."

_Love was when I loved you  
One true time I hold to  
In my life we'll always go on_

Yugi hugged his arms close around his body as he stood at the Game Shop's door. It wasn't warm out tonight. Under no circumstances was it even borderline warm. His tears had finally slowed, and his breathing had grown quiet and soft. He was only half conscious as he waited there, his eyes staring at a rock on the drive. He rubbed down his arms. He hadn't even bothered to get changed. Memories kept flashing through his vision, making it harder and harder to keep his eyes dry- Him confronting Atem late at night, asking who he was and what he wanted. Atem's support when Yugi felt as though he had no hope left. Yugi secretly setting Atem up with Anzu for the day when he feeling upset. Those were the days he would never forget: The time they spent together. Those times were the times he would always stay true to. They were real. And so long as Yugi kept them in his mind, Atem would remain there with him.

_Near, far, wherever you are  
I believe that the heart does go on_

Jonouchi's truck pulled up in the drive and Yugi lifted his head. He did his best to choke back his tears, but they immediately began rolling when he saw his friends get out of the car. He had only called Jonouchi, but somehow, Anzu, and Honda were there, too. Yugi smiled a bit as he stepped up towards them. Not everyone was here, no, but Yugi felt as though he was looking at everyone he knew. Bakura, Mai, Otogi, Malik, Isis, Rishid, Kaiba, Mokuba, Rebecca... They were there, too. Even if he couldn't see them; even if some of them were in Egypt, others in America, and others just a car-ride away. They were all right in front of him, supporting him and keeping him alive.

_Once more you open the door  
And you're here in my heart  
And my heart will go on and on_

"Yugi!" Anzu cried, dashing forward. "What's the matter? Jonouchi said you sounded like you were crying!" She didn't even wait for a response before wrapping her arms around Yugi's neck, bending down to hold him tightly. His face heated with both embarrassment and hurt and her grip grew tighter and tighter. He felt his eyes sting again, so he pushed away.

"I just..."

"It's about Atem, isn't it?" Honda started, his hands in his pockets. Yugi looked up at his friends. They were all giving him expectant, yet understanding looks. Yugi pushed a nod and turned to the ground. Anzu's head fell, as well.

"We've all been thinking about him, Yugi," Jonouchi told him, turning up to the sky, "we all miss him." Yugi looked at him in surprise, but he turned to Anzu when she let out an audible nod. Her eyes were glowing with moisture as she pushed a smile.

"I dream about him sometimes. It's as if I could still open my eyes and be standing next to him." Her voice was full of pain, her throat cracking as she fumbled over her words. Honda nodded silently in agreement.

"He's spending every last second with us," Jonouchi continued, his eyes too beginning to trace with tears. "Until he's completely cut off from us, he'll stay with us."

"But he'll never be cut off," Honda interrupted, turning to Yugi with a reassuring smile. "Because he's always with us, and we'll be here for 50 years. Sure, it's nothing on 5000..." Yugi choked a laugh, wiping at his eyes. They were finally beginning to dry. It was then that Anzu held out her hand. No words needed to be said. All four of them dropped their hands in a circle. And without feeling it, Yugi saw everyone else's hands drop on top. Bakura, Mai, Otogi, Malik, even Kaiba. He lifted his head and saw all of them standing together, giving him a reassuring smile.

"We _are_ Atem," Jonouchi finally said, letting a tear roll down his cheek. "All of us."

_You're here, there's nothing I fear  
And I know that my heart will go on._

Yugi's shoulders flew up and his eyes snapped shut, forcing every last drop of water to pour from them. He seethed as his teeth clenched, trying to hide his eyes. His shoulders fell back as he let the sob he'd been holding back slip from his lungs, no longer attempting to hide his feelings from his friends. "Thank you," he choked, holding his sleeve to his eyes. He could hardly breathe through his sobs, and speaking was near impossible. "Everyone!"

Anzu held her fists to her chest, her cheeks damp and her lip quivering without pause. She sobbed a bit, too. Honda tried to wrap his arm around her shoulders, his eyes moist, as well. She held her hands to her face, leaning into him and resting her head on his shoulder. Jonouchi tore viciously at his eyes with his fists, sniffing with a perfect rhythm. When Yugi pulled his arm away from his eyes, the tears continued, but he smiled brightly, forcing his gaze to meet Jonouchi's. His friend nodded in response, smiling as well as a tear escaped his eye.

_  
We'll stay forever this way  
You are safe in my heart  
And my heart will go on and on_

The next morning, Yugi woke up on the game shop floor. It was still early, and everyone was still asleep around him. Only a sliver of sun was visible through the door's blinds. He sat up on his arms and looked over his friends, letting a smile cross his lips. This time, however, his eyes stayed dry. He felt the hands on his shoulders. He reached upwards and rested his hands on top of Atem's, his smile growing. He looked upwards, but no one was behind him. But that didn't matter.

He would always have his friends here. And with his friends, he would always have Atem right beside him. His eyes ran over everyone. Anzu was on her side, her head resting in her arms. Jonouchi was on his back, his hands over his chest as he snored. Honda was leaning against the wall, his head low and his eyes closed. Yugi scoffed and shook his head. Yeah, he'll always have these guys. He may have wished on the puzzle for friends, but the puzzle was just the broken link. The link that helped him believe in himself. The link that helped him grow courageous. He didn't need the middle link.

Yugi folded up his knees and rested his chin on them, closing his eyes again. No, Atem didn't need to be seen or heard. He'd always be felt. Atem came from the puzzle, and now he was one- A piece of him within each of their hearts. His was courage lying with Jonouchi, his spirit resting with Honda, his wisdom latent with Anzu, and his heart dormant in Yugi's own: The heart that would never disappear; the heart that would always keep Atem alive.


End file.
